Hamas official denies requesting amendments to proposed Gaza ceasefire deal: Report
Hamas official Osama Hamdan has denied that the Palestinian group had put forward new ideas for the US-backed proposal for a ceasefire in Gaza.
Earlier, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said that Hamas had proposed numerous amendments, some unworkable, to the Gaza ceasefire proposal, though he also said mediators remained determined to close the gaps.
Hamdan, speaking to the pan-Arab Al-Araby TV, also said that Blinken was “part of the problem, not the solution” in the Gaza conflict.
The only news about 'amendments' was Hamas requesting a timeline and guarantees Israel will be held to the ceasefire deal. No new ideas, merely requesting commitment from Israel to the proposed deal.
Hamas wants US guarantees about permanent ceasefire: Report
Hamas is seeking guarantees from the US that Israel will live up to its commitments under the UN-backed ceasefire proposal, including withdrawing from Gaza and negotiating a permanent ceasefire, according to sources quoted by Reuters.
Earlier, Hamas issued a formal response to the three-stage ceasefire plan, asking for several amendments, including a ceasefire timeline.
The plan, as outlined by Biden on May 31, starts with a six-week ceasefire in phase one, transitioning to negotiations for a full ceasefire in phase two. The ceasefire is to remain in place as long as negotiations are ongoing.
However, Israeli leaders, including the prime minister, have insisted Israel is still dedicated to destroying Hamas, raising questions about their commitment to a lasting ceasefire.
It seems Blinken is trying to pull a fast one
Blinken, the ‘ultimate spinner’
This is what’s so infuriating about Secretary Blinken: He is so well-mannered, soft-spoken, very diplomatic. But when it comes to the content of what he says, he is the ultimate spinner – half facts, half truths.
He said the two proposals are virtually the same. But I will name you two important differences: One is that the Hamas proposal calls for the end of Israel’s siege; the proposal outlined by the US does not. What’s the point of this war or the past 20 years of four wars against Gaza if we’re going to go back to square one where Israel imposes a siege on Gaza? So the Hamas proposal suggested ending the Israeli siege on Gaza. This new proposal does not.
Two, there’s the key difference between a permanent and temporary ceasefire. This proposal speaks of a temporary ceasefire. Hamas presented a permanent ceasefire. The difference lies in phase two, which says that Israel will withdraw from the Gaza Strip upon the agreement of the parties – which means Israel will have to agree. And there’s every proof and demonstration that Israel does not want to end the war, and it keeps saying that this resolution will allow it to achieve its war objectives.
Blinken assures us that Israel said “Yes” to the proposal. I am not convinced. Why hasn’t Netanyahu come out and said, “I support and embrace the new Security Council resolution”? That’s the question that needs to be posed to Secretary Blinken.
Gaza deal would help Israel-Lebanon tensions: Blinken
During the presser in Qatar, Blinken renewed calls for a diplomatic solution between Israel and Lebanon and said a Gaza ceasefire deal would have a major effect in lowering tensions.
“What I’ve heard from everyone concerned,” Blinken told reporters in Doha, “is there’s a strong preference for a diplomatic solution.”
“There’s no doubt in my mind that the best way also to empower a diplomatic solution to the north – in Lebanon – is a resolution of the conflict in Gaza and getting a ceasefire,” he said. “That will take a tremendous amount of pressure out of the system,” Blinken said.
No shit Sherlock, Hezbollah has been saying since the beginning they're attacking Israeli military positions in Northern Israel in reaction to the Gaza genocide.
